BEISEKER — Dozens of volunteers combed massive farmers’ fields, waded through knee-deep grass and scoured roadways and waters northeast of the city in a large-scale search Sunday for a Calgary man missing since February.

Investigators have been looking for Ryan Lane, 24, for the past three months. It’s believed he met with foul play.

On Sunday, 80 volunteers with local search and rescue groups, wearing yellow vests, scanned what seemed like endless golden fields, walking in a straight line in groups of six to eight for signs of the missing man.

Members of Calgary police’s HAWCs, canine, marine and mounted units, and a boat crew with the Calgary Fire Department also took part in the search.

Crews targeted a large area between Irricana and Beiseker south of Highway 72 between Range Road 263 and Range Road 265, which included the banks and waters of the Rosebud River basin.

“Investigators have reason to believe there will be something of evidentiary value in that location,” said duty inspector Keith Cain.

“Obviously, it would be nice to find Mr. Lane alive. But he has been missing since February so I think the investigators are looking for anything that can help explain what has happened to him. They are looking for clothing, they are looking for him, or unfortunately for his body.”

While nothing of significance was found in the search, which began at 9 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m., it doesn’t mean the efforts were for naught, said Acting Sgt. Karl Sundyk with the search management group, in charge of deploying resources.

This was the largest ground search for Lane. Smaller searches were conducted earlier in the year near where Lane was last seen and in the Airdrie area. Now crews will assess what next steps to take, he said.

He urged local farmers to keep an eye out on their fields while seeding and fertilizing.

The search comes days after Lane’s parents, Bruce Lane and Lorraine Jackson, made a tearful plea for clues in their son’s disappearance.

Lane was last seen Feb. 7 in the 5200 block of Country Hills Boulevard N.W. He had spent the day before at Chuck E. Cheese with his four-year-old daughter.

Lane may have been going through a custody battle at the time of his disappearance, and police have confirmed it’s one of many angles they are looking at.

Homicide detectives got involved shortly after Lane went missing.

Two vehicles were seen in the area around the same time of his disappearance: a red Jeep Cherokee and a red 1998 GMC Sierra pickup truck carrying a load of wood. Police have spoken with both vehicle owners but police would not confirm if they are suspects in the case. Police are also investigating a mysterious phone call made to Lane before he went missing.

So far, male and female suspects have been identified, but police said they are being unco-operative.

Lane is described as white, five foot nine, about 150 pounds, with a slim build. He has a tattoo on his right upper arm.

He was active in the online gaming community and went by the screen name Elemare.

With files from Christina Ryan, Calgary Herald

cho@calgaryherald.com

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